1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a washing machine combined with a dryer, in which a hot steam generated during a hot water washing operation is prevented from reversely flowing to the outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
A washing machine is a home appliance for washing clothes automatically. In a typical washing machine, a motor spins a drum to agitate clothes together with water containing detergent to remove dirt from the clothes.
A drum type washing machine is becoming very common. In the drum type washing machine, clothes are lifted and dropped to force water and detergent solution to pass through the clothes to remove dirt from the clothes. Since the clothes are lifted and dropped in the drum, the drum type washing machine can clearly washes the clothes while damaging the clothes less than other types of washing machines. Also, the drum type washing machine can wash more clothes at a time than other types of washing machines.
Further, a washing machine combined with a dryer is introduced to eliminate the inconvenience of using a washing machine and a dryer separately. Washing machines combined with a dryer can be classified into a condenser type and a vented type depending on a drying method.
The washing machine combined with the condenser type dryer removes residual moisture from clothes by circulating a heated air through a drum. On the contrary, the washing machine combined with the vented type dryer removes residual moisture from clothes by blowing a heated air into a drum and discharging the air to the outside through a tub and an air-vent duct. Here, the air discharged has a relatively high humidity because it has taken moisture from the clothes in the drum.
The washing machine combined with the vented type dryer is provided at an upper portion with a dryer duct in which a flower fan and a heater are installed. The blower fan draws in air from between a cabinet and a tub, and the heater applies heat to the air. An outlet of the dryer duct is connected to a drum to direct the heated air into the drum. The air takes moisture from clothes in the drum and then the air is discharged to the outside.
However, the washing machine combined with the vented dryer has a disadvantage in that a hot steam, generated during a hot water washing operation, flows reversely into the dryer duct and leaks to the outside.
That is, through an inlet of the dryer duct where the blower fan is installed, the steam reversely flows toward a space between the tub and the cabinet and discharged to the outside of the washing machine through a gap defined at a connecting portion of the cabinet, thereby increasing humidity of the room and causing problems such as mildew on the walls.
Further, the steam makes the cabinet rusted. Furthermore, when the steam infiltrates into electric components and condenses therein, it causes malfunction of electrical components and increases the possibility of a fire.